Petya Vladimirova is taking over the management of Kaufland Bulgaria following the immediate departure of Mihail Petrov. Until now, she was a member of the Management Board and director of the Central Departments division at the company.
Vladimirova has been part of the corporate group since August 2007. Over nearly two decades, she has held various management positions in the Sales and Expansion divisions. Before joining the Management Board, she was an authorized representative of the company, and since 1 December 2021 she has been a member of its management body.
Career in sales and chain development
As director of Central Departments, Vladimirova led activities related to the construction and expansion of the retail network, investments, procurement, internal processes and real estate management. She also took part in the projects to modernize Kaufland’s stores across the country.
The new head of the chain holds master’s degrees in economics and in social and cultural history from Leuphana University Lüneburg in Germany. She speaks German and English. Additional personal details about her have not been publicly confirmed in the widely circulated reports about the change.
“We are very pleased that an experienced executive is taking the helm of Kaufland Bulgaria in the person of Petya Vladimirova. She has a clear focus on stability, continuity and reliability,” said Frank Schumann, chairman of Kaufland’s Management Board.
The change came after a public scandal
Mihail Petrov is leaving his management position following a strong backlash against a statement he made regarding the sanctions imposed by the Commission for Protection of Competition. The regulator said it had identified violations in the chain’s dealings with Bulgarian producers and had imposed three financial sanctions totaling EUR 75,653,706. The decisions are subject to judicial review.
“Stop, because Kaufland is very big; if you continue, the collapse of Corporate Commercial Bank will seem like a summer breeze to you,” Mihail Petrov said during an event organized by the Association for Modern Trade.Following the statement, Kaufland and its parent company, Schwarz Group, distanced themselves from his words and the historical comparisons, describing them as inconsistent with the group’s values and corporate culture. Frank Schumann, chairman of Kaufland’s Management Board, apologized to customers, the Bulgarian public and the institutions.
The company said the change had been made in response to the public debate surrounding the proceedings before the CPC. At the same time, Kaufland Bulgaria is not changing its position on the sanctions, rejects allegations of unfair trading practices and says it will defend its arguments in court.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, btvnovinite.bg